30th Annual Wine & Food Festival in Billings

The Wine & Food Festival is one of Montana's favorite events. Wine and food enthusiasts enjoy wine seminars, wine, and food tasting, a fabulous dinner, and a lively auction. Before attending the festival, you can experiment with your own food and wine pairings at home.

Experience Exquisite Wine Pairings

If you love good food and great wine, you might enjoy finding the perfect food and wine pairing. Food and wine pairing allow the host to match complementary tastes to bring out the best flavors in both the food and wine. You want the food and wine to provide balance. For example, most hosts match a slice of hearty red meat with a bold red wine. Fish dishes often pair well with white wine.

When deciding on your wine and food pairing, think about the most flavorful part of your dish. This might be the main ingredient, the spicy sauce, or the potent seasoning. Most wine lovers like to choose the wine based on the sauce. For example, chicken in light lemon sauce might call for white wine. On the other hand, chicken with hearty tomatoes and mushrooms might pair well with red wine.

Flavor Profiles

Think about each item's flavor profile as you consider your wine pairings. The main flavor profiles are acidic, alcohol, bitter, fatty, salty, and sweet. For example, you can pair a bitter wine with a fatty dish, or sweet wine with a sweet dessert. If you pair like flavors, you'll be choosing a congruent pairing. If you choose an opposite flavor, you'll be choosing a contrasting wine pairing.

Pairing Ideas

There are many different ways to enjoy great wine and meal pairing. For example, you might choose a Syrah with a spicy meal. Sparkling wines go great with salty foods. Pinot Grigio pairs well with seafood and brings out delicate flavors. Try a Cabernet with your next red meat dish.

Experience the 2022 Wine & Food Festival in Billings

The Wine & Food Festival in Billings is full of wine, food, and fun. The festival begins with a Winemaster Symposium. Visitors can also participate in a wine and food tasting on Friday night. On Saturday night, the grand finale features a gourmet dinner and auctions. The Wine & Food Festival celebrates local restaurants and wine and raises support for Montana State University.

Winemaster Symposium

The Wine & Food Festival begins May 12th at the Northern Hotel. Join the Winemaster Symposium at 7:00 PM and taste various curated wines and a pairing menu. The symposium is led by Rick Sayre, Strong Wine Estate's Senior Vice President of Winemaking, Emeritus. Sarah Seltvedt, the Northern Hotel's Executive Chef, will carefully select the pairing menu.

Wine and Food Tasting

On Friday, May 13th, head to the Montana Pavillion for a wonderful wine & food tasting from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. In addition, visitors can attend a silent auction and browse the Wine Store and Private Cellar.

Fine Finish

On May 14th, the grand finale features a dinner & Auction in the Montana Pavillion at 7:00 PM. The event begins with a champagne reception. Then, guests can enjoy a gourmet dinner made by Executive Chefs Jason Corbridge and Sean Minahan. After the dinner, there are live and silent auctions, so you can bid on your favorite items.

Enjoy Fabulous Wine and Cuisine in Billings

The Wine & Food Festival in Billings offers a fabulous way to experience Montana's top chefs and fine wines. If you are still thirsty after the festival, check out our favorite breweries in Billings, MT.